I always wanted to create a unique space where we can talk about the problems and find solutions. Together. A space that will be free from corporate greed and excessive censorship. A space where everyone will be able to speak up and help us improve the image of our profession. Where established translators can share their experience and newbie translators can learn something that will change their lives and the way they do business.

I know it might sound a little bit over the top, but I believe that WE CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE of the translation profession!

While having a ton of fun building the most vibrant translation community on the web!

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Check out some of the most frequently asked questions and learn more about The Open Mic, user profiles, posting features and the ideas behind this amazing platform!

about the open mic

profile & registration

community

storytelling

account & privacy

for newbie translators

for seasoned translators

What is the idea behind The Open Mic?

The Open Mic was born as an idea of uniting the brightest minds of this industry. Knowledge-sharing is the essence of The Open Mic. The goal of The Open Mic is to build an amazing environment where seasoned translators can share their experience and ideas with newbies, helping us improve the image of our profession.

Who can join The Open Mic?

Any translator or interpreter can sign up for a free account. Registration takes less than a minute. You can register here: https://theopenmic.co/register

The Open Mic also allows registration of Direct Clients, Translation Agencies, Project Managers and Translation Associations. Each account type has different roles and permissions.

The end goal is to build a free online space where clients can meet translators and find the best experts based on their experience and skills and not just price alone.

Is registration mandatory?

Absolutely not! If you're here to read and learn, then go ahead, jump straight to our home page and start reading: https://theopenmic.co

However registration opens a ton of cool features! You'll be able to share your own stories, participate in the life of our little community, talk with your colleagues and share updates in our activity stream, follow your fellow translators and send direct messages, create a stunning profile, meet clients, improve your online visibility and much more!

I know it sounds too good to be true, but that's what The Open Mic is all about! And it's FREE!

Is this a job-bidding platform?

Thank God it's not! We have plenty of platforms that foster price-based competition and making another one doesn't feel right to me. Instead of creating an environment where every job posting is nothing but a race to the bottom I want to help you be in charge.

The Open Mic offers flexible search options for end-clients that allow them to find translators based on the information you've provided in your profile. Your ranking on the Translators Directory depends only on the feedback you receive from your clients. Translators with a higher number of happy clients will rank higher and vice versa.

Simply put: if you did a great job, ask your client to leave you a 5-star review and a great testimonial. This will help you rank higher and would certainly attract​ new clients!

Bottom line: a detailed profile with great testimonials and ​a nice profile/cover photo will attract more clients.

Do you plan to educate our clients about translations industry?

Yes! We really need to improve that. I mean, when was the last time you've read a great piece that explains how to find translators, what to look for, why quality and experience are important, etc?

And I mean like a really well-written article, that was meant to educate people and not to promote someone elses business (like many translation agencies do on their corporate blogs).

I'd say that the only good educational material is the ATA's "Translation: Getting it right". We need more of this stuff! The stuff that was written by the people for the people and in plain English.​

That's why The Open Mic wants to create an abundance of educational materials in the forms of blog posts and web pages that will help our dear clients understand the value that we bring to the table and why our services are so important and expensive.

Who designed The Open Mic?

The Open Mic was designed by Dmitry Kornyukhov. You might know him from his blog: Best Russian Translator. Everything you see here, every single element, every feature, every word was written by me, I mean him, I mean... (jeez, sometimes it's really hard to figure out whether I should talk from the first-person or The Open Mic perspective).

The point is: I FREAKING LOVE this industry and I genuinely want to improve it.

Where do you see The Open Mic in 5 years?

Wow! That's a really good question, thank you for asking! My dream is to make The Open Mic a go-to place for new knowledge. A place where everyone is dedicated to improving the image of our profession. A place where newbie and seasoned translators can co-exist, learn from each other and inspire one another. A place where you can get the much-needed motivation and spot-on advice.

And if we could make this place an ultimate destination where clients can find translators that would be super awesome too!

How do I register?

It's easy! Just go to https://theopenmic.co/register and fill out the form. Once you're done you'll receive the confirmation email with activation link. If you haven't - check your spam box. The whole process should take less than a minute.

Can I sign up/log in with Twitter or Facebook?

Yes! And also LinkedIn, Google Plus, VK, and Instagram. I really recommend you register using one of the social networks because it's super-fast and easy.

On top of that, when you register with one of the social networks you'll be able to to login with the social network of your choice with a click of a button without the need to remember your login and password all the time.

What type of profile should I choose?

Each role has different sets of permissions on The Open Mic. Plus their profiles might look differently. Only the first 3 and 6 can publish new blog posts at the moment. While 4, 5 and the 7 can use The Open Mic to find translators for their projects, leave testimonials, use social activity stream to share updates.

Can I edit my profile?

Oh yeah! The Open Mic has probably the most complex profile editor you'll find in the translation industry. It's super easy to navigate from one section to another and it's always up to you what sections to add/remove.

Filling out your profile information is literally as easy as answering the yes or no questions. I've added plenty of tips and comments to make everything clear and easy.

How safe is it to create a profile on The Open Mic?

When it comes to security I don't want to take any chances. The Open Mic is using an SSL certificate to make your connection secure and encrypted. You should see the green lock in your browser (or simply a lock if you're using other browsers than Chrome). That means that your connection is secure and the information you transfer is safe.

What kind of information can I include in my profile?

The type on information you provide in your profile depends on your profile type. For example, profiles of translators and translation companies look different. The information you provide is pretty similar to any other platform for translators. You can indicate your languages, fields of expertise, types of services you provide, your rates and much more.

The cool thing is: your profile will look absolutely stunning. I've flexed all of my design muscles to make it look and feel modern and attractive. I think I nailed it. Here is what my profile looks like, for example:​

Can I follow other members of The Open Mic community?

Yes, you can! You can follow any other member of The Open Mic community and they can follow you back.

Can I send/receive private messages?

Yep. You can send message to and receive messages from pretty much any member of The Open Mic community depending on your and their privacy settings.

What about the spammers?

We don't like them here. Well, pretty much like everywhere else. That's why there are plenty of instruments to block those folks. If you received a spammy-looking message you can block that user with a click of a button:

Can I leave/receive reviews?

Your client can leave you a 5-star review and a glowing testimonial and you can leave reviews for your beloved clients. So it make sense to invite your current client to join The Open Mic and leave you a great testimonial. Great reviews help your rank higher in the Translators Directory. You can also leave testimonials for your clients if you like.

I'm trying to make The Open Mic as transparent as possible that's why the moderation of reviews will be minimal. There is basically no place on the web where you can find a 100% reliable information about clients and translators. Hopefully we'll be able to fix that with your help.

Translators and Interpreters can review Outsourcers​, Translation Agencies, Project Managers and Direct Clients, while Outsourcers, Translation Agencies, Project Managers and Direct clients can review Translators and Interpreters. Your rating will be displayed in your profile. This is how it looks like:

​And this is an example of a review that a client can leave you:

Are you rewarding the most avid Open Mic members in any way?

Funny you asked because we do! The Open Mic has a pretty fun and engaging system of Open Mic Points (I know the name lacks a bit of imagination, feel free to suggest better names). What The Open Mic does it awards you point for pretty much everything you do on The Open Mic :)

You earn Open Mic Points when you login, refer a new member or a visitor (each member has a unique referral link that can be found in account settings)​, when you connect your profile with other social networks, when you publish new stories (this is the most important one), when you upload your photo and edit your profile information, etc.

I'm also bringing a fun gamification element to The Open Mic with cool badges that you can earn by completing various actions! You can earn badges for sharing new stories, inviting other translators and interpreters to join The Open Mic, participating in the life of our tight-knit translation community, etc. It's fun and super engaging. You'll love it! :)

Can I share links, images and videos on The Open Mic?

Yes! The Open Mic has a pretty cool Live from The Open Mic section where you can share anything you want! It serves as a news feed for everything that's happening on The Open Mic, including updates from your followers. You can share links to different articles that you've found on the web, upload photos, share your thoughts, mention other members and start conversations, reply to other people's updates, use hashtags, promote your business and blog, and much more!

Here is what it looks like:

And here is another example for you. I've shared a link to my blog in this one:

Can I receive notifications about everything that's happening on The Open Mic?

Yes, you can receive email notifications when someone follows you or sends you a message. You can also receive web notifications when someone mentions you in the conversation, replies to or likes your wall post, follows you, when you earn points, etc.

You can always edit your preferences on your Account Settings screen. You can disable/enable any notifications you like.

How does publishing a new story work?

In order to publish your stories on The Open Mic, you'll need to create a free account. You can register here: https://theopenmic.co/register. Once you're all set you can start writing your awesome stories and blog posts using our user-friendly and intuitive Publishing Tool. Just go to the menu, click on Publish New Story and start writing. Simple as that!

Hit "Publish" once you're done and your story will be instantly published on The Open Mic! Yay! You'll see your story on the homepage, as well as in the respective category that you've chosen. Now it's time to share it with everyone on other social networks :) You can also share a link to your story with your Open Mic followers in your activity stream: https://theopenmic.co/activity/

Your story might also show up in the menu section called Trending Today, depending​ on how many views it gets. Your story can also get featured and will be displayed in an awesome slider on the homepage:

Can I save articles as drafts?

Yes! Our Publishing Tool allows you to save your stories as drafts. You'll be able to access all your published stories and drafts in the menu by clicking on Manage Your Stories. This is what it looks like:

Can I edit or delete published articles?

Yes, you can edit or delete your articles and drafts any time you like.

Can I insert images and videos into my stories?

Yes! You can embed videos straight from Youtube simply by copy-pasting the link into the editor. You can also upload images by clicking the Add Media button in the editor.

Pretty much anything that can be embedded into a standard Wordpress post can be embedded into your story: images, videos, podcasts, tweets, etc.​

Can I preview my stories?

Yes! When you save your story as a draft you can preview it and see exactly how it will look like when you publish.

Can other Open Mic members leave comments on my stories?

Yes, any registered member can leave comments on The Open Mic. To leave a comment simply put your cursor over any paragraph and you'll see the comment bubble on the right-hand side.

This helps to keep the conversation in the context.​

Can I write stories in my native language?

Unfortunately not at the moment. The whole idea of The Open Mic is to spread great ideas about translation industry. English is the most popular language in the world that's why it kind of makes sense to keep everything in one language so that anyone could read and enjoy great content.

When everyone starts writing in different languages, it creates chaos. Granted, we're translators, and we can make sense of pretty much everything. But I believe that having one language would make things much easier and more enjoyable for every single member of The Open Mic community.

​Does it make sense?​

Can I hide my profile from everyone?

Absolutely! It's OK to feel a bit antisocial from time to time. You can hide your profile completely on your Account Settings screen. No one will ever know that you're using The Open Mic. This will be our little secret :)

Can I change my password? What if I forget my password?

You can change your password anytime on your Account Settings screen. And in case you forgot your password, you can easily restore it. Just click on Forget Your Password and you'll be taken to Password Reset page where you'll be able to reset your password.

Who can see my activity wall?

It's up to you. You can hide your activity wall from everyone, you can make it public (meaning that all members and logged out visitors will be able to see it) or you can keep it visible for your followers only.

Can I turn off all the notifications?

By default of the notifications are enabled, but you can disable them in the Account Settings. I suggest keeping at least a few of them (like new messages, followers of mentions), so you could stay connected with your peers and potential clients.

Can I verify my identity?

Yes, you can! The Open Mic offers a simple identity verification process. I highly recommend verifying your identity since it adds an extra level of credibility to your profile, plus you'll get a pretty cool blue checkmark that will be displayed next to your profile name:

You will need to submit Verification Request to verify your account. Before you do I recommend linking your Open Mic account with one of the social networks (Facebook, Twitter, VK, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Instagram). This will help us streamline the whole verification process.

​Once you've linked your account with one of the social networks above you can submit a Verification Request, either from your profile:

Or from your Account Settings screen:

Verification was designed to protect The Open Mic users from impersonation and other possible scams. Plus it makes your account more credible in the eyes of the potential clients.

How can I link my Open Mic account with other social networks?

You can connect your Open Mic account with other social networks on the Social Connect tab on your Account Settings page:

You can easily connect your Open Mic account with other social networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, VK, and Instagram. Connecting your account is easy and takes a few seconds.

Once you're connected, you'll be able to use your social network account to sign in to The Open Mic. That way you don't have to remember your Open Mic password all the time.​

More importantly connecting your Open Mic account with other social network helps us verify your identity and make your Open Mic a little bit better.

Can I delete my Open Mic account?

Yes, you can completely delete your Open Mic account. This will erase all of your profile data and all of your published stories. You can delete your Open Mic account from your Account Settings screen.

Is The Open Mic for me?

Seriously though, the whole idea of The Open Mic is so that we could improve the image of our profession by sharing great knowledge and educating newbie translators.

You've probably learned a great deal about languages in your university now it's time to learn about marketing, web design, social media, business and all the other stuff that you'll be doing. In its own way, your "real" learning has just begun and The Open Mic is a great place to start learning about this industry.

The Open Mic brings together the brightest minds of this industry. You're in a good company here, I can guarantee you that!

How can The Open Mic help me be a better translator?

You know what? A lot of people underestimate the power of reading. The most successful and influential people in this world are avid readers.

The Open Mic gives you a unique opportunity to follow and read stories from them most inspiring translators, people who are altruistic and simply want to improve this industry by sharing their experience, ideas, and knowledge.

Simply by reading their tips, stories and observations you can tremendously improve your skills and become a better translator. Just remember - this world needs great translators, we're not competitors here. We're friends who want to help each other be better. That's what The Open Mic is all about.

Can I publish my stories too?

Please do! I really encourage young translators to step up and share their thoughts about this industry. Because, guess what? You're the future of this profession. You're the one that will be setting trends in this industry. Your opinion matters.

It's always nice to get a fresh perspective from a newcomer to this industry, someone who hasn't been marinating in this language world for years (like all of us, seasoned folks, did). You're special because you can shape up the future of this profession. And I think that now it's your time to shine.

Will The Open Mic help me improve my online visibility?

You know, that's a very tricky question. I think the best answer is that you're the only one who can improve your online visibility and there are no platforms on the web that will turn you into a translation superstar. Everything you do online requires some effort and The Open Mic is not an exception.

The good news is The Open Mic offers some pretty cool​ features that simply cannot be found anywhere else. It's main focus is on you and your content, by sharing great ideas about translation industry you can improve your online authority and attract new clients. Your Open Mic profile can also attract people if you put a little bit of time and effort into it (don't worry, I made it super easy and intuitive)

Plus you can invite your existing clients to rate you on The Open Mic which in turn improves your ranking and overall online image. It's the combination of those factors that can make it work for you.​

Build a great profile, share great content, ask for testimonials and I'm sure The Open Mic will definitely help you improve your online visibility.

Is there any way I can help you?

You can! Simply by spreading the word about The Open Mic, but more importantly - by participating in the life of our community. This is an amazing industry and we need more people like you. Young, talented and ambitious. Share your stories, read, write and inspire others to follow their dreams!

I have a pretty solid online presence. What can The Open Mic offer me?

The Open Mic doesn't really intend to be an ultimate marketing tool for translators. It's more of a community of like-minded people who want to improve this industry. I've been trying to tell people a million of times: "We need to write, we need to talk about the problems this industry faces, we need to work together."

The Open Mic offers you a new way of sharing your great ideas and inspiration with newbie translators. Yes, it won't replace your personal website or blog in terms of exposure. But I believe that with your help Open Mic can become an ultimate knowledge base for translators from all over the world.

This project is purely altruistic and was designed for people who want to give back to this industry by spreading great ideas that can shape up the future of translation industry and change the lives of translators.

So, to answer your question: The Open Mic can offer you this amazing feeling, a feeling of doing something important, something that will resonate with thousands of people. We need more successful people that can share their experience and help newbie translators avoid the most common mistakes.

Will you be that person?​

Why don't you make The Open Mic membership exclusive for professional translators only?

I wish I could, but who am I to decide whether you're worthy of being admitted to this private club or not? This creates a very controlled environment and kills all the transparency and freedom of speech which are the two most important values of The Open Mic.

When you create a private community this can seriously damage the quality of ideas being shared. Strict moderation and overly complicated pre-approval process pushes great people away. There are so many amazingly talented people who are being silent on Twitter, Facebook, Proz and other social networks simply because they feel like their input won't be appreciated.

​The Open Mic was designed to help them overcome that fear of public speaking and help them spread great ideas with the community that "gets it".

We need to stop ​building walls in front of people and start talking openly and honestly about the things that matter. That's what I've been doing on my blog and that's what The Open Mic designed for.

Honesty, openness, and transparency are the key to emotional and professional well-being.

So, no moderation at all?

Of course not. I'm afraid that's just impossible. There are a few basic ground rules, that are described here. The main idea is that every story you share has to be relevant, not offensive to social, ethnic or religious groups and not infringe copyrights. No character assassinations too, please! There is no place for this on The Open Mic.

The Open Mic has a unique moderation system for newly published stories. You can actually help to make The Open Mic a little bit better by reporting stories that violate site rules. The authors of the stories that violate site rules will be able to view your comments and implement all the necessary changes to meet the site rules. If they fail to do it, the story will be moderated in accordance with the site rules.

There is also an ongoing effort to combat spam and various scammers. A system of account verification helps to add an extra level of credibility to your profile and protects you from impersonation.

I would also like to find like-minded people who share my passion for this industry and would love to help with moderation. We'll see how it goes.

Do people really need Open Mic? I mean, we have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, etc.

You know what? That's a very good point. The Open Mic cannot replace you your favorite Facebook group. And to be honest, it's not what it intends to do. The ambition behind The Open Mic is to build a knowledge temple. A place where you'll be able to learn and teach, find inspiration, motivate people.

This is what The Open Mic is about. It's about writing and sharing great ideas. Open Mic is a the first blogging platform for translators. Yes, it has a social media vibe to it (with personal walls, followers, profiles, notifications, etc), but the main idea is to make it a place where great ideas are born and live. A place where you can simply relax, and enjoy great stories, shared by the amazingly talented translators who are passionate about translation industry and want to make it a little bit better.

But more importantly, everything you write on The Open Mic is easy to find. Your stories can be found on Google, there are lots of great tools for sharing on social media, your profiles are extremely beautiful and engaging. And everything is free! Open Mic has a lot of depth and I'm sure there will be something for everyone.

How do you plan to monetize The Open Mic?

That's probably the first question that pops up in everyone's head. And that's normal. When you see something of such massive scale it's quite natural to think that everything is designed to make a profit.

I'm not going to lie to you. The Open Mic needs money. Building and maintaining The Open Mic is not cheap at all (right now it's something around 150 USD per month and it will only go up and up after the launch). But I feel like it's not fair for me to create paywalls or paid memberships. And I certainly don't want any ads here!

This is why the fate of this project will be entirely in the hands of The Open Mic community. Right now I'm funding the project with my own savings, but in the future I want to raise funds in the form of donations (like on Wikipedia). It will be absolutely voluntarily and no one will ever force you to support it or accuse you if you don't support it.

I want to make The Open Mic the most transparent project on the web because I believe in honesty and transparency in business. The results of donation campaigns (if any) will be shared publicly.

One thing I know for sure: The Open Mic will remain free for everyone. Forever. No matter how hard it will be to achieve this. Because it's fair, because it's the right thing to do, because we need a project like this.

Does that sound crazy?

​

I like your passion, but I'm not a big fan of various "platforms".

Look, I get it. It's really hard to trust somebody you don't know. Especially after a decade of various bidding platforms with paid membership dominating the market. I know that it's not easy to believe that this whole Open Mic thing is not some sort of the ploy to trick you into sharing your ideas and then stealing your money. I'm really skeptical about those things too.

What makes The Open Mic so different is that it's absolutely free and that's how it will remain. Give it a try and if you hate it you can always send me your suggestions via a private message or write a blog post about it. The Open Mic values the freedom of speech an expression. If you don't like some features or ideas of The Open Mic you can always express your concern.

​You can also decide what features to use, whether to share your ideas or simply sit back and enjoy reading other people's thoughts and opinions. You can even hide your profile from everyone.

​It's ok to be skeptical. but sometimes you just need to have a little bit of faith. I believe in this project with all my heart and I know that it can do a lot of good things for this industry.

Is there any way I can help you make The Open Mic better?

You can help by sharing your ideas, by taking a stand and writing about the things that matter and spreading the word. As an experienced translator, you know this industry like no one else. You know what's missing. You know what's better. You know how to change things. And the only way we can change things is by not being silent.

So, please, give The Open Mic a try. Sign up for an account and start writing or re-publishing your great stories. Stories that will change this industry and shape up the future of our profession.

If you're a blogger you can also help us grow by re-publishing your best content (or all of it) on The Open Mic. The Open Mic uses canonical links to give all the credit to your original article and your website. In a way, The Open Mic is absolutely unique because it helps you give new life to your older content and promote it to your target audience which I think is truly amazing!

Some Other Awesome Features Worth Mentioning

There is so much depth behind The Open Mic, it's just insane! We've built the first true community for translators that focuses on what translators actually need.

Private Messages

Send private messages to your colleagues or reply to messages from potential clients.The Open Mic makes it easy to stay in touch with people that matter.

Tons of Fun

Yes, The Open Mic was designed so we could talk about important stuff. But who said we can't have some fun while we're at it?Earn points and badges, participate in discussions and enjoy the most rewarding user experience in translation industry.

Social Activity

The Open Mic gives you the power to share great content, blog posts, videos, images and updates on your personal wall.Follow other members and share something that sparks a conversation.In some sense, The Open Mic is the first social network for translators.